Tractor phonograph



'f Feb., 26 ,f 1924., 1,484,965-

w. RITTER TRACTOR FroNoGRAPH Filed Feb. 27 4. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTOR Feb. ze 1924., 1,484,965

W. RITTER TRACTOR PHONOGRAPH Filed Feb. 27, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 :hij

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, f? By t X A TTU/ME Y Patented Feb. 26, 1924i.

STATES WARREN RITTER, QF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

Timo'roia. PHONOGRAPH.

Lpplicationnled February 27, 1922. Serial No. 539,365.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WARREN RITTER, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in a Tractor Phonograph, of which the following'is a full,clear, and exact description.

Among the principal objects which the present invention has in view are:to produce musical sounds in correspondence with the movement of avehicle; to provide a simplified construction .for operating phonographsand instruments of similar character; to adapt the tractor mechanism ofa vehicle for producing musical sounds when the vehicle is moved; toprovide a hand-moved vehicle with a driving mechanism for a turn tablefor transmitting power to said table constantly in one direction forboth travel directions of said vehicle; and to provide ak simplifiedsound transmitting mechanism.

.Dra/M0298.V

Figure 1 is a side elevation ofv a phonograph of the charactermentioned, constructed and arranged in accordance with the presentinvention, the near side wheel and the portion of the box being removedto show the construction otherwise hidden thereby.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a' horizontal section on enlarged scale, the section beingtaken' ason the line 3--3 in Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a section of the driving shaft of the tractor, the sectionbeing taken as on the line v4--4 in Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a section takenas on the line 5-5 in Fig. 3.

Figure 6 is a detailed view showing an end fragment of the tone arm andkmeans for mounting the same in service on the sound box.

Description.

As seen in the drawings the tractor phonograph herein described isassociated with a trundling toy which embodies tractor wheels 11, anoperating handle 12, bail 13, box body 14, and axle 15. y

These elements are arranged and inverted to form the support andsoundubox for a phonograph instrument having aturn-table 16, a tone arm17, a stylus lug 18, and a sound box 19.4`

As shown best in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the sound producing vibrationsformed in the record disky 20 of usual construction is transferred bymeans ofthe stylus 21 of usual construction, tok the tone arm 17 to bethence delivered tothe sound box 19 which is formed by the top and sidesof thebody 14 and an inclined sounding board 22.

As shown best in Fig. 6 of thev drawings,

the Atone arm 17 is pivotally mounted on the body 14 by means of a ringthimble 23 which overhangs an annular f1ange24 set out from the tonearm. Freedom of movement is providedin the engagement of the thimble 23with the body 14 to permit the body 14 to ro? tate withinthe thimble 23freely. In the cheaper form of apparatus which the drawings disclose, Ihave not shown a friction reducing bearing between the body 14 and theflange 24. This is sometimes employed by me to facilitate the' swing ofthe tone arm 17. The thimble 23 is permanently secured in service byfastening devices 25.

As best seen in Figure 5, each needle or stylus 21 is installed inservice by being insertedy through perforations in the tabs 26. The tabs26 are integral with and struck up from the lug `18, which is preferablyintegral with the tone arm 17. The end of the tone arm 17 adjacent thelug 18 is preferably open.

The vibration of the column of air within the tone arm 17 is transmittedto the volume of air in the sound box 19, the sounding board 22operating `to, deflect the sound waves through the open end of the soundbox.

The table 16 is rotatively mounted on the vertical shaft 27, the upperend of which is reduced to provide the pintle 28, over which the recorddisk 20 is placed. A thimble 29 forms a bearing for the shaft 27, thecollar 30 serving to support the said shaft, as well as the table 16.

At the lower end of the shaft 27, the wheel 31 is rigidly mounted,having a rubber tire 32. The tire 32 serves as a friction element whenthe wheel is engaged by either of the friction disks 33 and 34.

As seen best in Fig. 3 of 'the drawings I and the said disks.

tion 39 or uit Said' 'Sp1-ing "extend einen@ tho Said porforotioos at o,fodooboloirfho end of. the'sliaft 27,r The extremities tho Sad Springare passedI through perforations y40fin the axle 15 and 'then overturnedto preventfthern being withdrawn therefrom.

`As shown best in Fig. y1,theb'ail'13 is slidablyfmounted on the body aplurality of longitudinally dispcsed slots 41 .and ,42. Passin'g'through'the slots 4l are they shanks of screws 43. The'slot 42issiifiicient-,1y wide to encompass' the axle 15. The sides ,of the bail1,3 are outwardly bowed as at 44.y Each of the bows has ,a vearn 45.

The cams`45 are oppositely disposed, filiranged to alternately engageand deiiect laterally the'collarsB andthe axle 15v and.

parts n*connected therewith, including the disks 33 `and 34. It is,obvious that when the wheels 11 engage the ground, the operation of thecams 44 on the collars `3,6 is to shift the. body 14 and parts connectedtherewith on theaxle, rather vthan as above stated, the axle and partsconnectedtherewith, on

. ,the body.

It will be noted that whenever the person operating the apparatus shovesthe same by means of the handle l2, thenthe cam 45 oii the leftfof,thefmiachine as vseen in Fig. 3 rests above the collarA 36 at'tlie'leftyof lthe said figure, drawing the body 14 and parts connected therewith,i including the wheel 31 over, until the tire 32 of the said wheelfrictionally engages `the'fdisk 34. In this4 posi- -tion the shaft 27will be rotated clock-wise,

and the table 16 and record disk 20 will be correspondingly rotatedclockwise.

vvWhen now the operator pulls the apparatus Vin the opposite direction,the cam 45 at the left of Fig. 3 lof the drawings is drawn fromengagement with the adjacent collar 36, while the :cam45 attheoppositeside of .the apparatus Y engages the collar 36adjacentthereto, with the result Lthat the axle l5 and the disk 33mounted thereon are shifted to the left of the position shown in Fig. 3:until the wheel 31 is engaged thereby. It will now` be noted that therotation of the shaft` 27 and parts mounted thereon continues in .theclockwise directiom'though 'the rotary direction Iof the axle 15 and ofthe disks 33 and34 has been reversed. j

In'tliis .ina-nner 'the rotary direction Yof the Lacasse recdrd disk 20`is constantly maintained, irrespective of the direction in which theapparatusl is moyed. v

@Zai/ms.

mounted; an audible `reproducing n'iecha-` nism operable by said recordrdisk; and means Operably Connectingv said wheels and said table forrotating lsaid'table, said means einbodying a transmission adapted formaintaining the rotary directionl of said table, Y

constantly in one rotary vdirection, lirrespective ofthe movement .ofsaid wheels, said transmission embodying a plurality 4of driv-v ingmembers carried by said axle and spaced apart, and a-diiviiig memberconnected with thesupporting shaft said table and interposed betweensaid 4.di'iying members; and means for changing the disposition of saiddriven member with reference to said driv-v ingniembeis IforsuccessivelyL engaging said` driving members. v Y

2. An apparatus as characterized comprising La plurality of carryingWheels; a horizontal axle carrying-said wheels; a rotary table adaptedfor supporting a phonograph record, a supporting shaftfor said tablepositioned vertically and rotatably mounted;

an audible reproducing mechanism operable by said record disk.; andmeans oper-ably connecting said wheels and said table for rotating s aidtable, said means embodying a transmission adapted for maintaining therotary direction of said table, constantly in one rotary direction,irrespective of theV movement of .said wheels, said transmissionembodying a plurality ,of driving members carried by said axle andspaced apart, kand a driving member connected with the .sup-

Vporting shaft of said table Vand interposed between said drivingmembers; and means for changing the disposition of said driven memberwith reference to said driving members for successively engaging saiddriving members, said means embodying a resilient connection betweensaid wheels and said table for absorbing the shock of initiatorymovement of said wheels in transmission to said table. i

3. An apparatus as characterized comprising a plurality ofcarryingwheels; manipulativey means for rotating said wheels; a rotary-tableadapted for supporting a phonograph record and having a verticallydisposedrotatable supporting shaft; an audible reproducing mechanismVvoperable' by said record disk; means operably connecting said wheelsand the vertically disposed shaft of said table for rotating saidtable/said means embodying a transmission adapted for maintaining therotary direction of said table, constantly in one rotary direction,irrespective of the movement of said Wheels, said transmission embodyingan axle carrying said Wheels a plurality of driving members carried bysaid axle and positioned at the opposite sides of said vertical shaft,and a gear disk connected with the driving shaft of said table andinterposed between said driving members, means for moving said axlelongitudinally to bring said driving members successively intoengagement With said gear disk, and a resilient connector interposedbetween said axle and said driving members for yieldingly transferringthe ibnovement of said axle to said driving memers.

4. An apparatus as characterized comprising a box-like body; a verticalrotary shaft mounted thereon; a turn-table mounted on said shaft forsupporting a record disk, an audible reproducing mechanism operable bythe record disk, a transmission disk carried by said shaft; a pluralityof carrying Wheels supporting said body; an axle ixedly attached to oneof said Wheels and movable transverse of said body; drive disks carriedby said axle upon opposite sides of said transmission disk, a handle formanipulating said apparatus slidably connected With said body; and meanscarried by said handle for connecting said handle and said axle forshifting said axle in said body and selectively bringing the drive disksinto engagement With said transmission disk and cause rotation of thevertical shaft in the same direction when the axle is rotating in eitherdirection.

5. An apparatus as characterized comprising a box-like body; a verticalrotary shaft mounted thereon; a turn-table mounted on said shaft; aplurality of carrying Wheels supporting said body; an axle fixedlyattached to one of said Wheels and movablel transverse of said body; ahandle for manipulating said apparatus operatively connected with saidbody; means forconnecting said handle and said axle for shifting saidaxle in said body; a plurality of driving members mounted on said axlein spaced relation and at opposite sides of said vertical shaft forengaging said shaft to rotate the same successively in correspondenceWith the movement of said axle; and means for shifting said axle andsaid driving members in correspondence with the movement of saidapparatus.

6. An apparatus as characterized comprising a box-like body; a verticalrotary shaft mounted thereon; a turn-table mounted on said shaft; aplurality of carrying Wheels supporting said body; an axle ixedlyattached to one of said Wheels and movable transverse of said body; ahandle for manipulating said apparatus operatively connected with saidbody; means for connecting said handle and said axle for shifting saidaxle in said body; a plurality of driving members mounted on said axlein spaced relation and at opposite sides of said vertical shaft forengaging said shaft to rotate the same successively in correspondencewith the movement of said axle; and means for shifting said axle andsaid driving members in correspondence With the movement of saidapparatus, said means embodying a slidable bail, said bail being adaptedto shift said axle in opposite directions in correspondence With theopposite impulse imparted by said bail to said apparatus.

WARREN RITTER.

